Harris Expresses Ambition to End Filibuster and Restore Abortion Rights

Vice President Kamala Harris said she supports eliminating the filibuster to restore national abortion rights in a Tuesday interview, drawing mixed media perspectives.

Could Backfire: Ruth Marcus of The Washington Post (Lean Left bias) expressed a pro-abortion stance but said Democrats are making a “mistake” by trying to do it by eliminating filibuster. Marcus described the filibuster as “an infuriating, undemocratic impediment to progress — except, that is, when it is a welcome guardrail against extremism,” and argued that “partisans” often base their stances on “whether their political party holds the Senate majority.”

Progressive Agenda: The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board (Lean Right bias) argued eliminating the filibuster “would turn the Senate into the House for the purposes of passing legislation, which means a wide open door for progressive priorities.” The Board wrote that Harris is “keeping most of her agenda incognito,” but says this stance shows she wants to help Democrats “ram through whatever” policies they want.

Dueling Narratives: Ed Kilgore of New York Magazine (Left bias) described backlash against Harris’ stance as “odd.” Kilgore said Harris’ position was “predictable” because she previously supported eliminating filibuster, and that Republican critics are setting a double standard because former President Trump has “long opposed” it. In a response, Charles C.W. Cooke (Right bias) of National Review (Right bias) highlighted that in 2017, when Trump was President, Harris signed a bipartisan letter that sought to “preserve existing rules, practices, and traditions as they pertain to the right of Members to engage in extended debate on legislation before the United States Senate.”